GeoBasis programme

The GeoBasis monitoring programme focuses on selected abiotic characteristics in order to describe the state of Greenlandic terrestrial environments and their potential feedback effects in a changing climate. Monitored plot data is up-scaled to a landscape level and is used to improve ecosystem models to be able to quantify these feedback mechanisms. The GeoBasis programme provides an active response to recommendations in international assessments such as ACIA and SWIPA; and is continuously being adapted based on AMAP and other international founded recommendations. Furthermore, the GeoBasis programme is directly involved in several international networks and research projects (e.g. the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) programme, the Nordic Centre of Excellence DEFROST, the Danish Centre of Excellence CENPERM, the EU-projects PAGE21 and INTERACT, and the Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University). The GeoBasis programme is divided into a number of sub-groups, including:

  • Snow properties; including spatial and temporal variation in snow cover, depth and density.
  • Soil properties; spatially distributed monitoring of key soil parameters such as temperature, moisture, chemistry and seasonal progression of active layer depth.
  • Meteorology; monitoring of essential meteorological variables across various surface types and elevations.
  • Flux monitoring; plot and landscape scale flux monitoring of CO2, CH4, H2O and energy in wet and dry ecosystems.
  • Hydrology; monitoring of seasonal variation in river water discharge, chemistry and suspended sediment.
  • Geomorphology; monitoring of shorelines, coastal cliff foots and cross-shore river profiles.